Passion Week 2024
Saturday
First prayerfully read and meditate on Luke 23:50-56, Matthew 27:57-66, Mark 15:42-47 & John 19:38-42.
Things to think about:
The day in between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday was a day to be still. Actually it was a Sabbath, a day to rest even though it was an impossible task for Jesus’ disciples. Rest was probably the last thing they could do on that day in between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. Yet it was what they had to do.
We all know so well what this day must have felt like because we all have been in that place - feeling stuck in between what was and what is to come. It is a place to be still, to wait, to wrestle, to cry, to manage all kinds of emotions, to ask millions of questions, to pace back and forth without knowing what will happen or if anything will ever happen for good.
We all have been in that place. Maybe some of you are in that place today. I encourage you that no matter what you are facing today, know that you can rest in the One who has never failed and will never ever fail. Simply come and ask for rest because He will give it to you as Jesus promised “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Friday
First prayerfully read and meditate on Mark 15:1-47 (also Matthew 27:1-61, Luke 22:66-23:55, John 18:28-19:42).
Things to think about:
The journey this week finally brings us to this day - the day of Jesus’ death on the cross. He was beaten, tortured, ridiculed beyond what a person could endure and ultimately he was nailed to the cross. In that moment of death, Jesus experienced the great disconnection from God - something he never had to experience until this moment.
And when he breathed his last breath, it says that the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The veil was what separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:33). Priests were allowed to minister in the Holy Place regularly, but only once a year the high priest could pass through the inner curtain to the Most Holy Place, the very presence of God. But now the veil is torn in two from top to bottom meaning Jesus with His death on the cross removed the very thing that separated us from God!
Hebrews 10:19-20 says that his own flesh, torn on earth, opened a new and living way through the curtain into the heavenly holy places. Now in confidence we can enter freely into the presence of God! Jesus restored what was broken by sin and death and brought us back into the greatest relationship we could ever have on earth and in heaven.
Today as you think about the death of Jesus Christ, pray to God that any veils in your life would be removed and that you would approach God confidently and freely.
We ask you to first prayerfully read and meditate on John 13 (also Matthew 26:17-29, Mark 14:12-25, Luke 22:7-62).
Things to think about:
Jesus is sitting with his disciples on the night of Passover and in the middle of it, he stands up, pours water into a basin and begins washing the disciples’ feet one by one. John 13:11 says that Jesus already knew who was to betray him, yet the next verse says “when he had washed their feet.”
Even though Jesus already knew Judas Iscariot was to betray him, he washed Judas’ feet just as he did for other disciples. What kind of emotions do you think Jesus was experiencing as he washed Judas’ feet? What kind of emotions do you think you would experience if you were to wash the feet of someone who would betray you?
Then Jesus publicly shares saying “one of you will betray me” and this shocks everyone. Simon Peter couldn’t even ask Jesus himself so he had John, the disciple whom Jesus loved to ask “Lord, who is it?” And Jesus replies, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it” and he gave it to Judas.
For a long time, this terrified me - Jesus exposing my sins in front of everyone. However, that was not what Jesus did. Instead of exposing sins, this was an invitation to fellowship through repentance. Giving Judas a morsel of bread was an act of love with a promise of forgiveness because Jesus himself was the bread being broken for our sins.
As we walk through the Passion Week, Jesus is extending his invitation to all of us but more importantly, to the world through you and me. In fact, it was a command “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. … If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
We all have those who have wronged us and even betrayed us. The question is simple. “Are we doing what Jesus commanded us to do?” If not, what keeps you from following the example Jesus set for us? Who do you think Jesus is pointing you to do what He did to Judas?
Thursday
Wednesday
We ask you to first prayerfully read and meditate on John 12:1-11 (also Matthew 26:1-16, Mark 14:1-11).
Things to think about:
Martha and Mary witnessed Jesus resurrecting their brother Lazarus from death. Can you imagine how much that miracle impacted Martha and Mary? So when he came back to Bethany, Mary took an opportunity to express her heart to Jesus by anointing and blessing Jesus with an expensive ointment. She even wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair.
Judas Iscariot also witnessed Lazarus’ resurrection. However, he chose to partner with the chief priests seeking an opportunity to betray Jesus.
Worship is always a choice. We can either choose to worship and give thanks to God even in challenging circumstances or to focus our attention to ourselves and even walk in the opposite ways of God.
That is why our worship is a powerful weapon against the enemy. It impacts the generations everywhere as Jesus said “wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
So today choose worship no matter what you face. Your worship will impact and change the generations starting from where you are. Spread the fragrance of your worship everywhere you go.
Tuesday
We ask you to first prayerfully read and meditate on Luke 20:1-8 (also Matthew 21:23-32; Mark 11:20-33).
Things to think about:
After Jesus drove out people from the temple, he was faced with the chief priests and the elders of the people who challenged Jesus saying “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” In other words, they basically told Jesus “Who do you think you are that you cause this trouble here? We are in charge of what’s going on in this place.”
Authority always flows from top to bottom. A master would give or delegate his/her own authority to someone under them so that they would represent and execute their will and command to others. The chief priests and the elders forgot this truth as if they themselves were the master of the temple.
Sometimes we do forget this truth too. We act as if we have control over our lives. We do whatever we want to do as if this life belongs to us. But in reality, without God, we can do nothing - even breathing in and out a next breath.
Jesus taught us this powerful truth repeatedly as he said in John 14:10 “The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” and again in John 15:5 “… for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Today let us walk humbly under the authority of Jesus Christ over our lives. He is our Lord and Savior. So seek His voice, hear His heart and live out what He says to you.
Monday
The first thing we see Jesus doing after his triumphal entry on Palm Sunday is Jesus clearing the temple of those who bought and sold sacrificial animals and cursing the fig tree.
We ask you to first prayerfully read and meditate on Matthew 21:12-22 (also Mark 11:12-19; Luke 19:45-48; John 12:12-19).
Things to think about:
Jesus overturned the tables of money changers and drove out all who sold and bought sacrificial animals. And he rebuked them saying “My house shall be called a house of prayer.. not a den of robbers.”
The temple was never meant to be a place of transactions where we get what we need from God. The temple was meant to be a place of a deep encounter and intimacy with God as we worship and surrender before God. The blind and the lame came to Jesus and had a powerful encounter with Him.
In the same way, Jesus cursed the fig tree that didn’t have any fruits. Then Jesus said to his disciples about faith that would move the mountains. Faith is the fruit of our relationship with God, not our own works.
Jesus is inviting us to check our hearts and see if we need to clear things up that lead us away from the true relationship with Him.